Lost All Resistance
by fermataoso
Summary: "Green? Like an Artichoke? A string bean in a dress? What so-called witty name are you going to call me this time?" "So you do remember me?" The long-ago promised M-rated Elpharic.
1. Seal My Heart

AN: I know it took me forever, but I finally have time to write again. Thank you all for your patience, and hopefully the extra long chapter makes up a little for it. Thank you for reading.

* * *

><p>Pulse pounding in her ears, Elphaba held her breath. Had they seen her? They must have. Her green skin wasn't exactly discrete. Oz, why hadn't she checked first? It's not like this was her first time. Footsteps echoed in the darkened hallway, and she flattened herself against the corner. Damn it. No complications, he'd said. In and out, no problems. Would knocking a few guards unconscious count?<p>

She poised, but before she could spring on them, the footsteps retreated. "Told you it was nothing. Hurry up, I gotta take a leak."

She sank against the cold wall and tried to regain her bearings. The office would be on a higher floor, she guessed. And the stairs would be…there. She scanned the now vacant hallway and slipped into the shadowy recess.

Cautious now, she took each turn with a thorough sweep. Her vigilance proved moot. No one wandered the darkened stairwell or guarded any of its entrances. At the top, she edged from the shadows into the window-lined corridor. Also empty.

An anti-Animal poster blazed its propaganda in bright letters, and Elphaba's lip twitched. The sheets tacked around it pictured so-called criminals: outspoken but elusive Animals and the resistance fighters that protected them. She snatched at one, a crude sketch of a man she recognized who'd been caught and faced execution. Would her face hang here one day? Or her obituary?

The moon's silvery glow filtered through the large windows enough to show no security in sight. It must be on another floor. She started back toward the stairs when she saw lights flicker around the corner.

She hugged the wall and edged closer. The sudden lack of opposition made her nervous, but she convinced herself they vainly considered their outer security that impenetrable. That, or the Lurlinemas holiday left them lax and apathetic. What could a cold night of guard duty hold to a warm pint of cider?

After all the darkness, the bright office burned her eyes, and she had to squint to see what awaited her. A lone security guard manned the desk in front of the office, sipping coffee she hoped was spiked with eggnog. No such luck. Beyond alert, the man seemed almost robotic in his diligent scans. Every twenty seconds, cameras, hallway, other hallway, cameras again, back to his paper, sip of coffee. She watched for five aching minutes until her knees cramped from crouching so long, but after over a dozen repetitions, she felt safe in saying the routine wouldn't change.

Which would be great. Predictable. Incredibly helpful, if it gave her long enough to sneak past undetected. But twenty seconds? And without a sound… Could she do that? She worried her lip. Perhaps if she sprinted, but a streak of green barreling at him would catch the guard's attention for sure. Could she lure him out and knock him unconscious? Surely her superiors would understand one teensy injured guard.

A long, thick garland draped across the room, merrily proclaiming Happy Holidays, and it looked sturdy enough. She could climb. Or she could crawl past and just hope he didn't look down. She weighed her options. Neither seemed particularly promising. Her eyes flicked back and forth, until the guard made her decision for her.

He leaned close to the monitor, blinked, and looked up, not a foot from where she crouched.

She scrambled out of range and against the thin partition dividing the office. Would the guard come after her? That might give her the opportunity to sneak past if she had a diversion of some sort.

Oh, of course!

She grasped the end of the garland. The tinsel pricked her fingers as she twisted it in a tight spiral. She watched the rotations wind their way up and across until it reached the banner.

Then she let go.

The garland exploded in a furious spin, fluttering the banner against the wall with a loud slap. It teetered on its frenetic tether, the garland sliding through the loops that held it in place, and the entire assembly crashed to the ground. The guard jumped at the sudden noise and hissed as his coffee splashed onto his lap. He wiped at the wet spot and cursed the holidays with a hateful glare at the banner now limp on the ground.

Grumbling, he abandoned his post to address his burnt and soggy lap. She watched him leave, and boldly walked through, fighting a grin. Seems her luck couldn't be beat tonight. This had been one of her easiest missions to date.

She ignored both doors off the interior hallway and headed for the battered one at the end. It opened into a cramped workspace occupied mostly by a large steel desk. She ruffled through the various papers littering the surface, but found nothing of interest. The locked drawers she made quick work of with a letter-opener and an experienced hand.

The top drawer held pens, no use. The right one: stationary, typewriter ribbons and the like. She managed to shut it with some effort, crinkling the paper on top. Below that were files and receipts, all neatly labeled in odd juxtaposition to the chaotic drawer above it. The left one stuck, but she wiggled it loose, exposing its contents of correspondence, highlighted memos and active files.

Bingo.

She flipped through the letters and telegrams until she found the information in question. Braving the overflow, she stole a blank page and copied the information in a scribble of code. As she wrote, she committed the location to memory. Paper could be lost, or damaged, or taken. Memory made for a more indelible backup.

Provided she survived.

"What's the matter with you?" The approaching voices drew her attention, and she hurriedly returned the letter to its drawer. "You didn't even check?"

She scanned the cramped quarters for any place to hide. But the tiny room offered little hope. They'd reached the door, and Elphaba knew her luck had run out.

* * *

><p>"No complications, you were told."<p>

The disembodied shadow shrugged, its lion mask bobbing oddly in the darkness. "What other option did I have?"

"There are always options." The twisted feather mask glinted dully as he turned to face her. "Fae?" Elphaba reported the location, still coded, to her superior. "Were you seen?"

"Almost, but I evaded. They'll have suspicions, but no proof."

The scowl eased from his feathers. "You could learn a lot from her, Gau."

Gau's thick chin thrust out. "Done is done. What's another dead guard? One less Animal-hating bastard in the world is fine with me. Won't trouble my conscience any."

"Until your insolence costs you your life! Or worse, exposes us all. How would your conscience be then?"

"It's his third mission. He's still green," she interjected, if nothing but to save their director's blood pressure. "He'll learn, or he'll die."

Gau snorted at her and bit out a snide, "You of all people call me green?" She tensed, afraid at first he'd seen her true skin, but he continued, "You're a girl! At least I've lived long enough to grow some hair on my chest."

"As appealing as that sounds, I've no sudden desire for a hairy chest, nor a brain the size of yours, gorilla."

"Enough." The feather mask scrunched into a snarl of aggravation. "Luq, report."

A thin whip of a black sauntered forward, the low light gleaming off his impractical porcelain. "Done."

"No complications?"

"Taken care of."

"Good." The lieutenant turned to the final shadow. "Vir?"

The wiry operative shuffled forward, eyes downcast. "Unsuccessful." He winced, but at the lieutenant's glare, he continued. "The plane was boarded with more than we'd anticipated, and by the time I found the right man, the opportunity had passed. I'd have been exposed, so I withdrew." Gau muttered a disparaging comment that was ignored. "I did manage to confiscate a crate of explosives from the hold, but I failed the primary objective."

"A passable consolation prize."

Vir straightened with a surprised look. "But Zephyr-"

The lieutenant held up a hand. "You were right to wait. Another opportunity will present itself, and we'll be ready."

He nodded, still taken aback, and without complaint, withdrew to the shadows.

Fae stood to receive the next mission briefing, but Zephyr drew on his gloves. She tensed. "It seems," he spoke slowly, eyes on his hands as he smoothed the soft black leather over each finger, "we have a problem with an operative's discretion."

Gau paled. "Look, I'll try harder. I didn't think it would matter that much. Please. Give me another chance."

"Not you," Zephyr snapped, and then his control returned. "A certain operative has felt too compelled by his old life to honor the new. You know we're forbidden contact with our former acquaintances. You chose this life, and with it comes sacrifice. It's reckless to return, even for family. You're dead to them." He'd reached the last finger. "Command ordered the breach sealed."

A sudden motion dragged her attention to Luq as he spun on his heel to run, but he barely reached three steps before the silenced thump of Zephyr's gun cut through the night.

"Now, missions." Zephyr handed out the next briefs, stepping over the spreading pool of blood to reach Vir. He glanced down at his watch, ticking away the thirty seconds they had to review their files.

Elphaba glanced through hers, memorizing the location, intel and objective. Recover what appeared to be a reshaped gear, for what reason she couldn't say. Wouldn't it be easier to have a blacksmith bend any ordinary, readily-found gear? Why all the trouble of stealing one? And with the bold lettered warning, "Do Not Be Seen," wouldn't it be preferable not to risk discovery? Never mind what this part might possibly be combined into.

She knew it was bad timing, but when Zephyr collected her file, she couldn't help asking, "Why this piece?"

He eyed her coldly, and without a glance at the body of his former operative, he stated, "Questions like that are the first step toward ending up dead."

* * *

><p>Elphaba adjusted the thin strap of her dress and eyed the nightclub that housed her objective. The file held little detail, but the wild club scene provided enough cover for her own observations. A thin, ill-kempt man eyed her approach from his place at the door. "Nice dress, honey."<p>

She kept walking.

"Wouldn't like a nice set of diamonds, would you? Or a shiny bauble? Cheap." He offered a box with an odd collection of no doubt stolen jewelry. The fence held up an emerald pendant set in porcelain and grinned. "Matches your…eyes."

The image of Luq's porcelain mask, cracked and bloody, sprung to mind, and she shoved the box back in his hands. "No thanks. Not my color." The fence started to protest, but she pushed past him.

She stalked into the club, fighting the memory. The Resistance might seem brutal, but sometimes the ends justified the means. Oz knows, the Wizard was a thousand times more brutal, and she couldn't fault them for fearing exposure. Who would stand up to oppression if the Resistance were dismantled?

"Whiskey, neat."

She studied the club while the bartender poured her drink. It was larger than she'd expected, and crammed full of drunken patrons bobbing along to the throbbing bass line's beat. Beyond the bar a shallow hallway led to the bathrooms, but the back hallway seemed much more promising. She took her drink and palmed him the cash.

With her prop now, she mingled through the crowd, cutting around the dance floor when a hand caught her elbow from behind. "Hey there, beautiful." She jerked free, but an arm slipped around her waist. "One dance, and I'll change your life."

She scoffed, "Well, then I'd better resist. Let go of me."

"Wait, Elphaba? Is that you? Oz, you look good in dim lighting."

She spun around in disbelief. Avaric. A friend of a friend, and an insufferable one at that. She hadn't seen him since her days at Shiz, a lifetime ago. "As flattering as that is, I'm afraid you're mistaken." He grabbed her wrist before she could get away, and though she shook him off, he followed her off the floor. "Look, I'm not who you think. Leave me alone."

"Nice try. I'd recognize that ass anywhere. It's me, Avaric."

Cursed idiot. Of all people, he's the one she couldn't bluff? "A memorable ass as well, though not in the same manner. What do you want?"

"Get a drink with me. Let's catch up. You look…"

"Green? Like an Artichoke? A string bean in a dress? What so-called witty name are you going to call me this time?"

"So you do remember me?" He laughed. "Oz, you look great."

"And you look obnoxious. Leave me alone."

"Not until you have a drink with me." She brandished her whiskey at him, but he waved a hand. "Another. Come on, what'll it hurt?"

"Aren't you afraid the green is catching?" she hissed, throwing his old line back at him.

He laughed and leaned close to whisper, "Want to see if some will rub off on me?"

"As crude as ever, I see."

"And you're as intoxicating."

"Intoxicating? Must be the green making you seasick."

He grinned. "Then let's get you somewhere without these pesky lights."

"Ugh, look you miserable cretin, you're vile and disgusting and-"

"You want me." He trailed a finger to her chin. "Admit it."

"Want to murder you! Leave me alone!" She shoved him hard enough to topple him into the pair behind and tip her drink. Before he could recover, she stormed off, mindful of the eyes following her across the room. So much for a low profile. She retreated to the bathroom to dry off her dress and let the spectacle die down.

She slunk out after she'd counted the tiles covering the floor, and walls, and ceiling. Twice.

Mere steps from her hiding place, Avaric caught her eye from across the bar. He started toward her, and she ducked behind a couple of burly men. They stared at her, and she flashed a smile. "Um, excuse me." With a confused frown, the men went back to their conversation. She peeked over their shoulders to see him scanning the crowd for her. Good. He'd lost sight of her.

She snuck across the room until she reached the cover of the back hallway. Finally, she could get some work done.

The dim light revealed a storage closet, boxes of liquors, the delivery exit, and a stairwell leading down. A couple guards lounged at the base of the stairwell. How best to get past them for a look? She'd decided on the tried and true bathroom excuse when the clink of falling metal drew her to the storage closet. The basement housed some sort of illicit activity, but the file hadn't specified the gear was down there. She should at least be thorough.

She crept toward the closet, and listened carefully to see if anyone else waited inside. Nothing. Her hand reached the doorknob when Avaric strode in the dim hallway. She flattened herself into the corner and eased the door open to slip inside. He strode toward the stairwell purposefully until he caught sight of her. His eyes widened, but then he grinned. "There you are."

"Get away from me," she hissed. They would be caught for sure. Damn, damn Avaric! She'd have to scrap tonight and come back later, when Captain Horny wasn't hanging around.

"Aw, come on. Give me a chance."

"Check it out. I'll stay here." The guard clopped up the stairs, and Elphaba glared at her pursuer.

"Now you've done it."

Avaric glanced from the steps to her. "Kiss me." The urgency in his voice was wrong, not the desperation she'd expect but an emotionless pragmatism. "Quick."

"No such luck."

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" he groused. He hauled her to him tightly and crashed his lips into hers.

She shoved him away, hard, and slapped his face with all her strength. "What the hell is the matter with you? I'd rather eat live scarab beetles than kiss you. You're a repulsive, depraved, awful little toad, and I have absolutely no interest in you, nor will I ever. Leave me alone!"

"Ouch." She whirled to face the chuckling guard. "Tough luck, buddy."

Avaric shrugged, "Had to try."

"Alright. Out we go." Elphaba flashed him a smug smirk until the guard reached for her, too.

"What? Why do I have to leave? He's the one who attacked me."

"My cheek would say otherwise," Avaric complained, and she shot him a glare.

The guard clamped a hand on each of their arms. "Out. Before anything gets broken." He hauled them through the exit into the alley beyond.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. She leaned close, widened her eyes and licked her lips. "Please don't make me leave. I was having so much fun." She batted her eyelashes with practiced efficiency, an image of her old roommate floating forward in her memory. "Isn't there any way you could make a little exception for me? I'd be ever so grateful."

The guard laughed again. "Sorry honey. Barking up the wrong tree. Now if he were to ask…" He winked at Avaric, who sported a flustered blush. "Better luck next time." He stepped back inside, and they heard the telltale click of a lock.

"I'd be ever so grateful," Avaric mocked in a squeaky voice. "Ugh. Could you get more desperate?"

"Says the one who got me kicked out for trying to grope me in the hallway."

"Me? You're the one who slapped me!"

She leaned in and snarled, "Working for another?"

"They'll certainly remember us now. So much for coming back tomorrow." No kidding. Even if she waited weeks, with her unique skin, it wasn't practical. She'd have to report the mission a failure, let some other operative try. He sighed, "Damn."

"Oh, I'm sure you can find some other place to drink away your charming personality."

"Better mine than yours. Still a prudish shrew, huh?"

"If you hate me so much, maybe you can stay the hell away from me this time." She stalked toward the street, and he followed. She whirled on him, "I said, leave me alone!"

"Settle down there, bitchy. This is the only way out of the alley. Trust me, I am itching to get the hell away from you before you cause any more damage."

"Me?"

He huffed a sigh. "Let's not start this again. I'm going right. You go left. This day will be just a very bad memory."

"Why do I have to go left?"

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Which way do you need to go?"

"Left. But you shouldn't be so presumptuous."

His fists clenched, and for a moment, she felt a surge of enjoyment at goading him. "Fine," he ground out. "You go your way, and I'll go the opposite. Happy?"

"Thrilled." She crossed her arms. "And you'd better not follow me."

"Not to worry. You're one face I never want to see again."

"Likewise."

* * *

><p>She was late to the debriefing. Cursed bottle of scotch. Her head ached, and she wanted nothing more than to forget yesterday had happened. All night she'd been plagued with memories of a life long past, friends too far gone to miss.<p>

Zephyr clutched the new stack of files, glaring at her as she sidled in. "Sorry," she murmured, and Vir continued his report. A new shadow haunted where Luq had stood, so similar in build that it disoriented her. Was his ghost haunting them now? Or was she hallucinating? A symptom of all the stress.

No, the new figure seemed thicker, if still trim. More muscular. But something about it bothered her memory. He seemed familiar, almost, if shadows could be.

"Fae, report."

"Unsuccessful." She started to elaborate, but the new operative shook his head in warning. She squinted closer, and with a rush of understanding, she recognized him.

Avaric.


	2. Break My Pride

_"Unsuccessful." She started to elaborate, but the new operative shook his head in warning. She squinted closer, and with a rush of understanding, she recognized him._

_Avaric._

* * *

><p>"Um," Elphaba sputtered out, "I just need more time."<p>

Zephyr sent her a searching look, but she didn't elaborate. "Very well." Microscopically, Avaric leaned back. "We can't risk that another night might arouse suspicion. Add your observations to the report, and I'll have it reassigned."

He handed her the file, and she stared at it for an uncomfortable moment. "Um, I know it's not in the bathroom."

Avaric snorted a laugh, which he converted into a cough. Gau was not so polite, but she ignored his catty remarks. Their lieutenant let out a weary breath and passed out their new files. He stared down at his watch, the seconds ticking away.

"Um, Zephyr?" She resisted the urge to raise her hand like some penitent child overlooked by the teacher. "This is the old file. Where's my new one?"

"If there really is nothing else for you to add," he snapped her folder back and gestured toward Avaric with a sharp motion, "see Rho. You're assigned to him this time."

Behind the mask, she knew that bastard was smirking. "I can't be. I mean, I'm not a junior operative." At his blank look, she balked. "Look, I'm not going to be some lackey for an ungrateful little snot like A…Rho," she managed to stop herself, but Avaric had stiffened all the same.

Zephyr shot her a hard, unblinking stare. "You're late, you're cheeky, and your last mission was downright embarrassing. And now you have the nerve to complain?" She flinched at the dangerous ice in his tone. "You'll do what you're assigned, and you'll shut your mouth about it."

He snatched back the files before she could say another word and dismissed them. Avaric caught her arm and hauled her out as fast as he could. Two steps through the door, she snatched her arm away. "Let go of me."

"Why? So you can run back in there and get in more trouble?"

Her arm fell back to her side, but her shoulders stayed tense. "What are you doing here anyway? Stalking me?"

"I've been in the Resistance for years. It's not like I knew you were, too. "

"Right," disdain dripped from the word. "So it's just a coincidence that you show up out of nowhere, inexplicably, just in time to cause me to fail my mission."

"Me? I didn't cause you to-" She rolled her eyes at him, and he wrenched her back to face him. "This again? Must I remind you, _again_, that you're the one who refused to kiss me? Your damn slap is what lost you the mission, not me."

"Of course I slapped you, you idiot. You kissed me."

He threw his arm wide. "A fate worse than death, I'm sure, but still a fairly believable cover for hiding with a girl in the dark."

"You said you didn't know I was in the Resistance."

"I didn't. I was covering myself."

"Typical." She tucked her arms across her chest. "Well, we can't work together."

"Clearly."

"So tell me the mission, and I'll take care of it."

"You?" He lifted his eyebrows in disbelief. "I think I've got it from here. Why don't you run along and play with your dolls."

What she would give to be able to disintegrate him with one look. "I already had to take one hit for you, I'm not about to let you ruin another."

"Well, I'm the one who's read the briefing, so looks like you're out of options."

"And if I tell Zephyr why I failed last night?"

"Go ahead," he ground through clenched teeth. "Tell him how you ran into a former friend-"

She snorted, "Don't flatter yourself."

His lips compressed as he restrained himself. "You'll seem complicit. After all, you're the one who didn't report it immediately." She started to argue, but he cut her off. "And if he does believe you and reports it to Command, what then? What do you think they'll do when they discover we know each other?"

She thought of Luq and grimaced.

"Exactly. So for once in your life, stow the attitude and keep out of my way."

"Fine. Brief me." His forehead scrunched in confusion, and she struggled to keep enough patience not to throttle him. "You said it, we're stuck. I don't want to bicker about it."

"Great. So go away."

"Look, I don't like it anymore than you do, but they must have assigned both of us for a reason. And I'll be damned if I let your pride jeopardize a mission."

"My pride? Oh, that's rich coming from such a stuck-up little brat."

"Stop being such an idiot. You're wasting time."

Avaric eyed her with a measuring sneer, as if deciding how disgusting an insect she were. In truth, she probably wore a similar expression. "Fine, but you'd better not screw this up."

"Just make sure you're focused this time, not off chasing tail. I don't have time to play babysitter."

"Says the woman in desperate need of getting laid."

Her nose wrinkled as she ran her eyes over him. "Not if you were the last man on the planet."

"Ditto, Thropp. Ditto."

* * *

><p>Thick trees hid the dingy, ramshackle building, which provided the pair plenty of cover as they crept to within a few yards of the compound. A high wall of wire strung the edges, but years of disrepair made it more idle threat than actual held a gap wider so she could slip through first, and she wandered toward the building as he made his way after her.<p>

Before she reached more than a yard, a pair of sentinels turned the corner toward them. Avaric ducked into the shadows of a shed as she pressed against a tree. The men stayed engrossed in their conversation, ambling around the meager complex. One propped against the wall and lit a cigarette. "I know, terrible habit."

Avaric shot her an impatient look, and at the first opening she crouched low to dart over. He pulled her behind the shed. "Good thing you're camouflaged."

She dusted herself off with a dry, "Clever."

"I'll take grounds; you try inside." She waved an acknowledgement, and he scuttled off to comb the exterior. She studied the dilapidated structure. It had two doors, each stationed with a pair of sentries in addition to the two roaming the perimeter. The sparse smattering of trees shielded her long enough to reach a few feet from the building, but with no convenient windows, she was no closer to getting inside.

Unless she tried the roof.

She started to climb the nearest tree, but the bark splintered as she gripped it. Rotten. "What was that?" The sentries swung toward her, and she ducked down, mouthing curses at the damned trees. Even the landscape was rundown.

They started toward her, and out of options, she grabbed hold of the next tree, thinner but less damaged. She'd have to hope it held her weight. Up she shimmied from one creaking branch to the next. When she reached the highest she dared, the tree practically trembled under her weight. She eyed the shabby roof a good six feet from her. With a running start, no problem, but from a tree?

The sentries were a few feet away, less than a minute from breaking the canopy that hid her, and with her window closing, she had to act. She sprang out with all the strength she could muster… and landed on the balls of her feet, her knees tucked in a calculated roll that slammed her shoulder-first into an exhaust vent. The roof groaned at the added weight, and for a heart-stopping moment, she thought it might give way.

She edged across and studied the lock. A thick layer of rust seemed to have sealed the lock shut. Elphaba scanned the roof and spotted a thin, narrow twig. It wouldn't do much good on the lock, but the hinges…

She maneuvered it into the weakened hinges and levered it in alternate directions. Little by little the screws loosened in the wood enough to slip free. She pried the panel up and dropped into the abandoned hallway below. With a practiced ease, she searched the rooms off the hallway. The front two were mostly empty, though she liberated a dagger from a footlocker in the third. She'd have preferred a firearm, but so far none had been so obliging. The narrow hallway funneled into a tight staircase, and she toed cautiously down the steps.

This floor also seemed abandoned, though she could hear the voices of the sentinels outside the front entrance. She snuck past the entry and into what must be the office. Four desks were crammed with papers, phones, typewriters and blotters. She idly ruffled through papers littering the nearest one. Worthless. Worthless. A bill. Something about shipments. A file of addresses of Animals residents. Nothing on target.

Voices drew her back to the hallway, but when she crept to the front door, she found it still locked. She listened a breathless moment for anything of relevance. Convinced there was nothing to alarm, she started back to her search when a hand slapped over her mouth from behind and shoved her toward the office.

She twisted, wrenching her dagger toward the unknown attacker. He jumped back with a hiss. "Avaric?"

"Sh!" He eyed the dagger, and she stowed it back against her side. "No luck. You?" She shook her head in answer to his whisper, and he puckered a frown. He plucked a twig from the tangled mess of her braid. "Um, where did you…?"

"Roof. You?"

"Back door. Idiots practically let me in." At her suspicious expression, he shrugged. "What can I say? I'm persuasive."

Elphaba chose to ignore that. "I swept upstairs."

"Yeah, I checked the other end." He paced back toward the door, eyes intent on the hallway. "If I had to guess, I'd say they got wind of us and moved him."

"Hang on, I think I saw a telegram about shipments in here." She located the page as Avaric came to read over her shoulder. "Yeah, looks like weapons, but it might be. We should check it out."

She started to copy it when he plucked it away. "This place is a shamble. I doubt they'll notice one less page."

They heard the front door swing open, and Avaric let loose a curse. He snatched a thick paperweight as she scrambled to retrieve her dagger. In a breath, the guards were upon them.

"Guess you were less persuasive than you thought."

He grunted as he slammed his paperweight to his attacker's temple. "Oh, I never said I used words."

She flung the dagger to catch the second in the gut. He groaned and fell to the side, a dark red stain spreading over his abdomen. The man behind shoved past, and Elphaba found herself distinctly lacking in the weapons department.

She lashed out first, reckless despite their disparate sizes, but her attacker absorbed the punch without so much as a grunt. She threw a second, and he caught her arm. He slammed it into the cabinet, and she yelped at the pain that radiated from her wrist.

"Big mistake. " Avaric taunted as he tossed her the paperweight. She slammed it into the big lump's nose, satisfied at the sickening crunch. "She's a bitch when she's angry."

"Avaric! Watch out!"

He spun back, but not in time to block the other assailant's sharp jab. Avaric reeled, stumbling over a chair, and Elphaba launched herself at the man before he could land another blow.

She locked an arm around his neck as the other hand jerked back on his arm. "Leave him alone!"

The guard shook to break free and slammed a hand against her wounded wrist. She bit back a cry, but when he jabbed her again, she lost her grip and fell back – into the man whose nose she'd certainly broken. She scratched at his hands, but he batted her away without much effort.

Avaric recovered, and he pushed back up with a kick hard to his attacker's groin. With a grunt of pain, the man went down.

He spun to her, and her assailant twisted her injured arm sharply behind her back. "Stop, or I'll break it." Avaric froze, eyes flicking to the pain she couldn't hide from her face. She struggled to get any kind of leverage, but at this angle she couldn't get her balance.

Avaric held up his hands. "Alright, fine. Let her go."

The guard moved his grip to her shoulder, a gesture of good faith, and she cradled her arm with a sullen glare. In a low voice that oozed threat, he asked, "Who sent you?"

She spun on her heel and shoved hard off him. Avaric launched himself at them, but the sentry met him with a quick block. Elphaba grabbed the closest thing she could reach, and slammed the typewriter hard into the man's gut.

The air rushed out of him in a whoosh, and unable to hold her grip, the typewriter toppled to crash into his foot. Avaric snatched her other arm and yanked her after him toward the door. "The other two…" she panted.

"Out of commission," he verified, though he aimed for the front. "At least I hope they are still."

They shot through the door and across level grass until they reached the fence. Avaric ripped at the wire, but leave it to them to flee to a sturdy section. "Come on. No time."

She clutched the wire to haul herself up, and hissed in pain when her wounded arm wouldn't support her weight. Avaric held out a hand and half-pulled her the rest of the way. She leapt off and rolled when she hit the ground. A thud told her Avaric had followed, and he reached toward her. "You alright?"

A pair of wounded sentries had pursued them as far as the fence, and she pushed up hard. "Shut up and run." They sprinted toward the tree-line and didn't slow until, panting and breathless, they reached the strip of stone that served as a road. Their horses still chewed lazily at the grass there, an odd change of pace from their frantic flight.

"So much for subtle." She flopped heavily against a tree, struggling to catch her breath.

"Lucky they didn't have guns," he panted. "We've have been dead for sure."

"Got the paper?"

He patted his pocket in reply. "Your arm alright?"

"Fine," she lied. She gestured toward the blood trickling from his jaw. "You?"

"You should see the other guy." He watched her reach clumsily for the reigns and without bothering for permission, he boosted her up. "Let's get out of here before we have a round two."

They rode along in silence for a while, until she asked, "How soon is the shipment?"

He took out the crumpled page, grimaced, and passed it to her. The message named a shipment, but the details had been redacted. She held it up to the light. "Looks like a couple days, maybe. We'll have to contact Zephyr."

"How?" She eyed him with caution, and he held up his palms. "Still no trust?"

"Of course I don't trust you. You're an egomaniacal jerk whose motives are beyond suspect."

"Yes, because I clearly joined the Resistance for the money, prestige, and women." She lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "Believe whatever you'd like. Just don't screw me on this."

"I have no intention of screwing you in any way."

They reached the farmhouse meant for the supporter they'd failed to rescue, and Avaric helped her dismount. "We'll see how long that lasts." He lingered too close, a hand still on her waist. "You handled yourself well today."

The sudden change in topic drew a suspicious glance from her, and she pushed past him to settle the horses. "I always do."

"Thanks, by the way. For having my back."

Her eyes stayed on the tack, but she grunted a reluctant, "You, too."

He lifted off the saddle and blanket, and then stepped back to her. "You know, we don't make such an awful team." His hand came back to her arm. "Why don't you let me look at that?"

She spun away. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing." He held up his hands in mock surprise, and she bristled. "I'm not going to fall for your 'let's make friends, oh, oops I fell in your bed routine.' I know you. I know what a scheming lout you are."

"What have I done that's so terrible? You've had a bad temper with me from the start."

"Do you honestly not remember what you were like at Shiz? All your bullying, bratty little insults."

He took a step back. "I was teasing. It was all in good fun."

"Yeah, some fun. I know I loved being called a different vegetable every day."

"You're overreacting. Besides, that was ages ago." She turned a cold shoulder to him, and he huffed a sigh. "Are you really so upset still?"

"No, it just opens my eyes to your little game."

"Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings back in school. I apologize. I never meant to offend you."

Her tone dripped with venom. "Yes, constant persecution was a gesture of your friendship."

"You're being dramatic. I teased you. I didn't hate you. I didn't really know you."

"That makes it worse! You tormented me for no other reason than idle boredom!"

He finished grooming her horse and led him to the stall. "It's late. We'll ride back in the morning."

"That's it? No apology?"

"What's the use?" He set the brush down with more energy than necessary. "You wouldn't forgive me if I offered the most sincere, heartfelt apology the world has ever known. You're stuck on me as this jackass, and to be honest, it's not worth it to try to prove you wrong." She felt a twinge of guilt until he pushed past her. "I learned a long time ago there's never any point arguing with a woman."

"Yeah, they're all smarter than you, huh?" she tossed back. But it was weak, and she knew it.


	3. This Same Kind of Remorse

AN: Hiatus officially over. I know it's been forever, but if you've read my other piece, I've also written this one through to the end as a rough draft. So no more long delays! Thank you so much for still reading, and please let me know what you think.

* * *

><p>Elphaba awoke to a bright ray of sunlight in her face. She grimaced. Not that she opposed sunlight, exactly. Just in the morning.<p>

She rolled off the mattress and rubbed a hand over her eyes. Despite the early night, she felt exhausted. Another failure tugged at her conscience, and her tangled hair bore the brunt of all the tossing. With a groan, she stretched and made her way into the hallway.

"Coffee?"

She spun to face Avaric, taken by surprise. He was up before her? "What're you doing?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "I should think that was obvious by the question."

She shot him a look and retreated to the bathroom. Without new clothes, she didn't bother cleaning up, but at least an empty bladder made her feel more charitable.

Avaric met her at the door with a warm cup of coffee. When she didn't take it right away, he pursed his lips. "It's not poisoned."

"So you say."

He shoved it in her hands and slipped past her for his turn freshening up. She waited until the door closed to try a sip.

In the kitchen, she rummaged for her breakfast. The only fruit was a smallish apple, and it didn't seem fresh. But it wasn't rotten, and it was all she had. She bit into it with a grimace.

"I know that face well. Usually directed at me."

She refused to acknowledge him.

"Should try the oatmeal instead. It's not half bad."

She wrinkled her nose, chewing another mealy bite.

"How's your wrist?"

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you care?"

He rolled his eyes and spared her his answer. He had everything gathered before she finished her breakfast. "Okay, Miss Sunshine, do we call Zephyr, or head home?"

"Zephyr." She threw away the core and dusted her hands. "Mission's not over."

"Good. I hate losing."

A sentiment she shared. She'd sent a coded message last night, after Avaric had headed to bed. Zephyr should meet them soon.

The loud, sharp rap at the door still surprised her. She produced her mask and gestured for Avaric to do likewise. His eyes wide, he fumbled to find it in his bag. "That was fast. You use magic or something?"

"Don't be an idiot."

"What, you studied Sorcery, right?"

"Shut up!" she hissed, a nod toward the door. He slapped his mask in place and thankfully shut his mouth.

When she opened the door, Zephyr lifted a sharp eyebrow. "You might answer next time you send an urgent message."

She started a cheeky reply, but Avaric yanked her back by her elbow. "Our apologies, sir. We would like guidance as to the continuation of our mission."

"The extraction failed." It wasn't a question.

"How'd you know?" Elphaba blurted, and Avaric swung to glare at her.

"Had the task been easily accomplished, I doubt you would need urgent advice." She opened her mouth to argue, but Zephyr held up a hand. "What did you need?"

"As you said, our extraction failed. But we found a shipment order, we believe for the asset, with a two-day delivery."

"Tomorrow, then." Zephyr stroked his chin, unseeing eyes drifting behind them. "And?"

"Rho would like to complete the mission, intercept the delivery, and I would like to return to the building in the meantime and locate additional intelligence. The place was a mess, but it seemed abandoned quickly enough to leave something behind."

"Yes, good, you may intercept, but not the building."

"But sir-"

"It's been demolished anyway. Rho, you have an assignment until then." He passed the folder, while Elphaba frowned.

"Demolished?"

"Neutralized." Zephyr eyed her. "You can take Fae with you," he sent to Avaric, "until the shipment."

"Yes, sir." Avaric handed the folder back, somber.

The older man hesitated, eyes almost sympathetic. "I know you asked to avoid these assignments."

Avaric drew a long breath. "Yes, sir."

"It can't be avoided."

He studied the doorknob. "Yes, sir."

Zephyr set a hand on Avaric's shoulder. "You'll do what you must."

"Yes, sir."

"Take Fae. She can work on the intel side, and try to help when you can."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm standing right here. I'm not a lampshade, for Oz sake."

He spared her an appraising look, and shook his head. "Sorry to add insult to injury," Zephyr clapped the other man's shoulder lightly and turned back to the door.

"She's alright." Avaric didn't look up, his voice subdued. "Held her own yesterday."

She looked down at her self in a showy investigation. "Yep, still not a lampshade."

"Mouthy, but alright."

Zephyr bobbed his head in a curt nod. In the doorway, he looked back, "I don't have anything to worry about with you two, do I?"

Elphaba cocked a hand to her hip. "Me and him?" She snorted a laugh.

"I've no death wish." Avaric let his eyes trace her body despite her scowl. "And she'd kill me, for certain."

She smirked. "Or at least rip off your limbs," she offered with a sweet smile. "Care to try?"

Zephyr let out a long breath. "Rho, you understand the deadline?"

Avaric's nod was slow, eyes trained on a spot in the distance.

"I'd rather let you work at your pace, but the shipment won't wait."

"I understand." She frowned at the shadow that crossed his face. "I'll…plan accordingly."

Zephyr eyed him. "Don't be sloppy, though. Send Fae for the shipment, if necessary."

Avaric tensed, "Yes, sir." But it was clear that wasn't a viable option in his book. She pursed her lips. Men and their chauvinism. Zephyr shut the door after himself, and her reluctant partner turned to her. "How soon can you be ready?"

She held up her pack, already fastened.

"Good." He strode toward his own pack and hefted it. "Let's go."

His intensity took her off guard, and she fell in behind him without comment. The horses saddled, she chanced a question. "Where are we going?"

"Roughly the same direction of the delivery, it seems. Should give me a little extra time."

She mounted and held his horse's reigns as he did likewise. "What is it you have to do? I can help, if you're on such a short timeline."

His head snapped up. "No."

He'd left no room for argument, but then, she'd always excelled at making her own. "No? That's an odd mission."

He didn't rise to the bait.

She needled him until they reached the road, but then he sent his horse into such a gallop that she had to lie flat and kick her heels hard to catch up. A couple hours at such a pace, and Avaric slowed them to a canter, eyes scanning the dilapidated buildings ahead.

"Here."

He pulled them up to a ramshackle building with a blue door. She handled the horses as he hauled the packs inside. The chipped paint and weathered exterior belied the warmth and cleanliness waiting in the narrow hall.

She slipped the lock shut behind her, careful to add an additional barricade. The horses were too much a giveaway, even tied them next door. Better to be safe.

"Avaric?"

She heard him sigh in the room next to her. "Rho. It's not that hard to remember."

She rolled her eyes. "There's no one here to hear."

But as she turned the corner, she saw that she was wrong. A roundish, balding man looked at her with eyes like saucers, begging her for rescue. Muffled entreaties came from behind his gag as he struggled against his bonds. She could almost smell his desperation.

Avaric didn't look up, but he stiffened when she closed the door. "You shouldn't be in here. Next door."

She stared at the man, then Avaric.

"Fae, next door. Now."

She set a hand on her hip, prepared to argue, but the dark look in Avaric's eyes when he turned around took her by surprise. As did the edge of pleading in his expression.

The long knife glinted in the dim lighting. "Please."

She propelled her numbed feet to the door and slammed it shut behind her. An interrogator? Avaric was an interrogator? Avaric?

For once she felt a wave of gratitude for the chauvinism of the Resistance. She valued the cause, with her very life, but that far? She didn't know if she could follow through.

Of all people, spoiled, bratty Avaric was capable of this? Had he changed, since Shiz? Clearly, he had. But how? And how much?

A low murmuring came from the room, and she scrambled back. In the next room, she found their packs waiting on a plain wooden chair. The papers waited in neat stacks on the long table, orderly and calm. The opposite of how she felt. She stared at them, but her mind wouldn't focus.

A shout came, and she spun to shut the door as if she could shut out the sound. Too bad the thin walls prevented any chance of that.

She buried her mind in the pages, like an ostrich hiding in the sand.

By the time Avaric opened the door, an hour or so later, she'd only managed to shuffle the pages in a pathetic mockery of working. He slumped in the other chair. "Find anything?"

She peeked up at him, and snapped her eyes back to the neglected pages. He looked exhausted. His sleeves were rolled up, the skin of his hands red and raw, as if he'd scrubbed them hard.

"Fae?"

She jerked herself from her thoughts. "Yes. I think so."

He moved to read over her shoulder as she pointed. "There. That might be a location?"

The feel of him was somehow intimidating in the small room as he hovered behind her. "Maybe." Her eyes fell to his forearms, the muscles exposed there. "But of what?"

She shook her head, not trusting her voice.

He let out a breath. "Keep looking. I'll help in a bit." He set a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

He froze.

She swallowed hard and set her hand on top of his. "Fae-"

"I think there might be something in these pages." She rustled through the stack, but Avaric pulled away.

"Please, don't be-"

"Rho," she emphasized the name more than necessary. "You have a job to do. We can talk after."

"I didn't want you here."

That drew her gaze, anger blazing away the odd fear. "Thanks," she sent back cattily.

He ducked his head in his hands. "Oz, I don't do this anymore."

"Yet here you are." But his wince made her feel she'd hit below the belt. "I heard Zephyr. I'm not an idiot. We do what we're told."

He met her eyes with such a heartbreakingly vulnerable gaze. She crossed her arms, unsettled by the rush of sympathy.

"Him or you." There was no place in the Resistance those who couldn't see things through. "And it's got to be you."

"Does it?"

She leveled a look.

"I mean, I know I'm talented with…persuasion, but-" She sniffed at the euphemism, and he stiffened. "It's not my choice of methods."

She didn't answer.

"Words take time I don't have to give. I've got to make it work, and fast, if I'm not to send you after the delivery alone."

Her chin lifted. "I'm not helpless, you know."

"Yes, neither am I. But I wouldn't want that size job alone, and with no idea what kind of resistance might be encountered."

She felt her cheeks flush, and she puffed up to hide the sudden stab of guilt. "Then you shouldn't waste time in here."

He stood, a hand finding her shoulder again. He gripped it tightly, like a lifeline. "Better here. How can someone do that to another person?"

Wondering if she could in his place, she kept her face carefully neutral. "You do what you have to."

He blinked up at her. "No, I meant…Oz, Fae, the things he's done. They're in my head, now, and I can't get them out." The haggard emotion in his expression tugged at her sympathy.

She pushed her chair back. "So we'll trade?"

For a moment, she thought he'd call her bluff.

"Find out what's at the location."

He retreated to the door with a final backwards look, and even after he left, his weary eyes haunted her, with what he'd seen, and heard, and done.

* * *

><p>Elphaba set both hands on her hips and rolled her shoulders back, stretching her sore muscles. So many damn little pages. She'd been hunched over this table for what felt like forever. She couldn't be sure since the room had no windows, but she wouldn't be surprised if the sun had set.<p>

Twice more he'd checked in, and each time, his words felt more hollow, his gaze more fleeting. His shoulders sank under the weight of his mission, and she dreaded the click of the door.

It opened now, and her shoulders tensed.

"Miss me?" Avaric strode in with a broad smile. She eyed his fresh shirt, its clean, straight lines taunting her. It made her unfairly aware of her own rumpled clothing. He passed her a bag. "I sent for some clothes. Figured even I couldn't pull this look off for three days."

She took the bag, surprised to see clothes in her size. "What, did you measure me in my sleep?"

"You women aren't as mysterious as you think. Be glad I was gentlemanly enough to get you underwear."

She pushed that thought away. "Have much experience with women's clothing?"

"Yeah. On my floor." He raised a cocky eyebrow at her attitude, and she wrinkled her nose at him. She preferred this Avaric, though, to the tired, haunted version. "Find anything?"

"I did." She held up a few pages. "Quite a bit. I think these might be other locations, if I'm reading this code right. For some sort of storage, maybe?"

He sank into a chair. "Go on. Change. I'll take a look." She hesitated. "Fresh eyes are helpful, and not just mine. You haven't had a break yet today."

"And you have?"

He didn't respond, and she kicked herself as he slipped back into his expressionless face. She snatched the bag and stalked to the door.

"I'd better not catch you spying on me."

"Too easy," he sent, and she blushed. Did he know she'd lobbed a softball on purpose? "Besides, then I'd have to participate, and I'd really get myself in trouble."

She took the time to clean up and enjoy the feel of clean cloth on her skin. When she came back, he was gone. She heard an ominously low keening next door, and she hurried inside her room to her papers.

Better not to hear.

She found dinner on the table waiting, a sandwich and an apple. She picked up the apple, its flesh firm and fresh. Quite unlike her withered breakfast. The juice sprayed her chin with the first crisp bite, and she found herself feeling a rush of gratitude. And that odd sympathy again.

* * *

><p>The door opened, and haunted Avaric returned. The white shirt bore telltale speckles that echoed in the shadows in his face. "Guess I shouldn't have bothered with the shirt," his voice hopelessly flat.<p>

It tore at her.

"Call Zephyr. Tell him it's done. He's…done."

She took a step toward him, and he skidded back. But she kept on, relentless. His back hit the door, and she caught his arm with a firm hand. Then she stepped nearer, pinning him in place with her eyes.

He swallowed hard, the shame clear on his face.

Her fingers found the first button. It came through easily, but he gasped in a breath nonetheless. She continued, button by button. Though his eyes bored into her, she didn't look away from her task. Unfastened, she pushed it from his shoulders.

He bit his lip, still as a statue. She stepped back, and returned with the oil from her pack. Rubbed between her hands, it felt slick and warm.

He winced at her touch and hid his still-speckled arms behind his back. So she started with his chest.

She smoothed the oil over his skin, firmer and warmer than she'd have pictured. Then she scraped the file lightly over it to leave the skin clean and soft. He stared down at her. She moved to the other side and repeated the gesture. Down his toned stomach.

"Fae," he started, his voice husky, but she turned her full attention to his neck, the flecks of red there. He caught her wrists, holding her in place. "What are you doing?"

She flipped the hold so she held his arm in place instead. She cleaned off the blood with a thorough and unflinching hand. He let out a heavy breath. When she reached for his other arm, he offered it without a struggle.

She moved up his arms to his shoulders, and she spared the time to knead the tense muscles with soft hands.

"Fae," he breathed, his head dipping toward her. She still didn't meet his eyes. "You…what…why are you…"

She edged up to his neck, his chin. His lips, slack with surprise. His jawbone, cheeks, nose, forehead. Then, still carefully without expression, she met his eyes.

His bewilderment shone at her, along with an intensity she didn't want to name, and she willed the acceptance to reflect back.

She stepped back, calm as the eye of a storm. "It needed to be done."

For a moment, neither of them breathed.

Then he nodded.

They went back to the work.


	4. Nowhere to Stand

"Good work. Both of you." Zephyr paced the room, eying the documents. "You work well together."

Elphaba took a subconscious step away from Avaric, too aware of the truth in that statement.

After her gesture, a peace had formed between them. He'd shut the door on the next room (and not just physically), but she could feel his gratitude in the sincerity of his tone, the lack of teasing.

She saw now. Whatever his faults, they were cut from the same cloth. They knew what this job took.

And took, and took, and took, endlessly. But they gave it. That was the sacrifice. For the greater good. A life to save whole species.

"We've done a little more intelligence on your shipment, too."

She blinked, surfacing from her thoughts. "And?'

"The shipment is not the asset. But it _is_ dangerous. You'll still intercept, but, not to recover."

"So the asset's still lost?" Avaric broke in, disappointed.

"Yes, yes. But we've lost a pebble to gain a mountain." Zephyr swatted away his concerns like flies and nodded toward the pages on the table. "The trains that are bringing this delivery are the weak point. They'll be unguarded until the cargo is loaded."

"So what? We board the trains? They'll search before they load, right?"

"Remove the bolts," he produced a schematic, "here, here, and here." She frowned, but Zephyr supplied the answer before she could ask. "The strain will be slow to let them gather speed before breaking loose."

"That's fairly cavalier treatment of a dangerous weapon. Are you certain it's nothing flammable or explosive? How can you be certain what else the train is carrying?"

Zephyr didn't answer, his penetrating eyes burning into her.

"Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die." The quote fell on her oddly from Avaric's voice, numb and expressionless behind his mask.

Zephyr gave a sage nod. "Quite. Get it done."

* * *

><p>Elphaba scanned for security, but Zephyr had been right. The trainyard was abandoned. At least for now, with the sun burning a distinctive lunchtime feel into the sky. Half a dozen engines nestled side by side on the tracks, where double switches crisscrossed the ground into a shining spider web in the bright sun.<p>

Avaric slipped through the fence first and held it open for her. "Which one?"

"Number 27."

They scanned the lot, and found their train the second closest to the platform. The calm, quiet feel to the job unnerved her. Too easy, her brain worried. Too easy. It was almost a relief when an attendant came through, scanning the undercarriage of the closest train.

They edged toward their train, careful not to make a noise. She'd nearly reached the door when the man turned. "Oy!"

Avaric hauled her to him, and this time she didn't fight him. The kiss felt convincing, to say the least, as he pinned her to the warm metal side. Their audience laughed and tossed out a halfhearted, "You folks ain't s'posed to be back here. S'dangerous."

Avaric only moved to her neck in answer, and she tilted her head back, the picture of seduced.

"Naugh'y, naugh'y." But he chuckled and continued on his route.

Avaric was a terrific actor, and she could see where he got his arrogance. Not that she would be blind enough to fall for it, of course, but she could see the appeal. Particularly when he grazed his lips over her collarbone like that.

She peeked up, and saw the attendant had made it halfway down the bend, far enough not to notice their absence. She tapped Avaric's shoulder, and he swung back to push the door of the train inward. He hopped up and pulled her after. "Is that your only move? Kiss some girl?"

"If it works, why fix it?"

The first bolt waited between the first two cars, and they bee-lined for the back door. "And when you don't have a girl with you?"

He shrugged. "I usually find there's a girl in need of kissing just about everywhere one goes."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do." She knelt to scan for the bolt.

While they'd both memorized the schematics, she found herself wishing she had the paper to refer to. A ring of bolts in various sizes held the cars together.

She concentrated. Third from the left. "Here."

"Oz, you're fast." Avaric passed her the wrench, and she tried to pry the bolt loose. But it held tight.

He bent beside her, taking the wrench, and grimaced as he turned the tool against the stubborn metal. His biceps tightened and jumped beneath his sleeve, and she found herself idly wondering if all men were gifted with superior upper body strength.

The bolt popped free, and a few quick turns later, Avaric had it slipped in his pocket. They moved through the second car, scanning for another door out. Not in that car. Or the next. They entered the fifth, and she spotted the door near the back.

"Down," Avaric hissed, swinging her under him.

They rolled off the seat cushions and into the tiny aisle between rows of seats. He covered her with his body, tucking both of them as far out of view as the metal supports would allow.

"Face in the window," he hissed in her ear.

The door clicked open and shut, and footsteps tapped closer. She pressed harder into the narrow space, trying to give Avaric some clearance. Face to the ground, she could only see the shoes from below the other rows of chairs. Shiny and black.

And moving fast.

They clipped along up to their row, and then past without stopping. The person must have been in a hurry and not bothered to look down. Avaric sagged against her with a breath of relief. Then he hauled himself up and offered her a hand.

They disembarked quickly, before any more incidents, and he set to work on the bolt on the outer edge of the wheel another car down, just short of halfway.

Elphaba left him to slide under the train two cars down. The narrow gap made it far better suited for her than bulkier Avaric. She shimmied along in an alligator crawl, careful to maneuver her knees over the railings and her head under the train.

When she reached the next junction, she rolled onto her back, squinting in the relative darkness. She reached a tentative hand up. Her fingers bumped over the parts, sliding over the grime and grease. There. The bolt was jammed in tightly, a thin crust of rust flaking under her fingernails.

"Fae?" Avaric hissed from the side, and she called back so he could place her.

"Here." He slid the wrench toward her, and it skidded to within an arms reach from her. She had to admire his aim. She probably would have lobbed that thing hard enough to slam into his skull.

She stretched a hand out for it and clasped it to her. Blindly she felt for the bolt again, and attached the wrench.

She struggled to turn it. She yanked the wrench too hard, and it popped off the bolt, showering her with flakes of rust and dirt. She sputtered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her arms.

"Alright?" he called softly. She could see his feet shuffle an awkward pacing, unable to help.

"Yep." She reset the wrench and tried again. "Just wish I had," she paused to grunt in time with her twist, "your upper body strength."

"Never thought you'd willingly admit you wish you're like me."

"Your arms, baboon." She grunted again, long and hard like the twist, and she felt it start to settle in. "Just your arms."

"Um, Fae, you might want to hurry."

"Not exactly dillydallying here." She twisted as hard as she could, and the wrench shivered with the effort.

"The others are coming back." His feet picked up their pace, and she heard the faint sound of arguing from the front.

"You seen? Surely there's someone you could be kissing," she teased.

"No, the driver trying to get the men off their break. Less talking, more motivation."

"Relax." She fought another turn, twisting the wrench off again and slamming her hand into the parts beside it. She bit back a curse and clapped her smarting knuckles to her mouth before she realized what a terrible idea that was. Lips puckered, she spit out the grimy taste and went back to work. "They haven't even loaded yet."

"They're loading at the next platform, not here," he hissed back, frustrated.

She cursed.

Throwing herself into the wrench with more dedication now, she ignored the slams of her hands and scrapes to her elbows. The driver whistled, and the sound of several doors closing had Avaric calling in earnest to hurry.

"Yes!" The bolt jolted loose, and she rushed to finish.

The engine had started, and she could smell the thick smoke billowing. "Just leave it," Avaric called, no longer bothering to whisper.

"Hang on. I've almost got it." The wrench swung the bolt to teeter precariously. One more should do it.

"Damn it, just leave it. It's loose. That'll have to do."

"Hang on." She reached up, and the final turn knocked the bolt into her chest. She didn't bothering trying to find it. She twisted onto her stomach, crawling toward the exit, but the wheels were already creaking.

Damn, she'd waited too long.

She fought the sting of panic. Okay. If she laid flat, the train should just pass over. She squinted back, but the caboose seemed to have some sort of cowcatcher or steps on the back. Damn, damn.

She crawled toward the edge, head tucked as far from the train as possible. Even so, she slammed painfully on her elbows and already injured wrist. The engine inched forward, slowly gaining speed. Still, if she timed it right…

She waited until the front wheels of a compartment passed, and thrust herself out from underneath in a frantic roll for freedom. The wheels crushed over the spot an instant after her feet burst free, and she went careening into the train beside them with a heavy bang.

"Ow," she complained, a hand rubbing the spot on her head that would certainly bruise. Avaric hauled her to her feet. His hands brushed over the grime to check her for injuries. Scapes, cuts and bruises she had by the plenty, but nothing extreme.

"You are idiot," he hissed at her, snatching her tight against him. "A damn suicidal fool!"

"Haven't you ever climbed out from under a moving train?" She faked a scoff. "Pansy."

The train had picked up, ticking along the switch tracks to the platform where its cargo would be loaded. Avaric let go of all but her elbow, guiding her toward the back.

They hurried to reach the derailment point. She had no plans to let this mission be her third failure in a row. If the bolts didn't work, they'd think of something else to intercept that shipment. Whatever it took.

Their horses were waiting, and she mounted awkwardly with her fresh injuries. "How come I'm always the one taking the hits?"

"Here I thought you believed in feminism," he teased back.

The train would loop around, and Zephyr had indicated a short stretch on the eastern edge of the county just after a string of switches as the place where the bolts should finally fail. They set up camp in the trees in a bluff overlooking the area.

Avaric passed her the binoculars. She watched for a while idly. Between loading and its extra twists, the train might take minutes or hours. Telltale smoke finally showed on his second watch.

He tapped her shoulder and pointed. Back smoke streaked back from the engine like a horse's mane. Her spine straightened, and she watched it round the bend.

Here. The loose bolts should pull the cars off on this steeper curve. The first might be able to hang on, but not with the other two missing as well. Each twist should have grated on the other, popping them with the creaking strain of metal on metal.

The engine rounded, and the first car with it. Then the second car shuddered.

Its wheel left the rails, scraping along the ground beside it. Sparks shot off from where the undercarriage dragged over the metal rails, and within another few seconds, the weight of its load caused the engine to jackknife.

The train crumpled like a child's toy, the cars in terrifying angles sparking down the track. Without intention, she caught Avaric's hand. The engine slammed into a copse of trees along the side, and the cars behind crashed together with a loud crunch.

The roaring, screeching ended as the ruin of train slid to a halt. In its place, the silence felt eerie. Then came the low screams, inhuman in their agony. The cargo was…alive? She squeezed his hand tighter, fighting a wave of regret.

But it took some sacrifices to start a revolution. And the people on that train would've done worse to an entire species. Someone had to stand up for the Animals, do what it took to save them. Whatever it took.

"Do you hear that?"

She blinked up at him, not quite wanting to answer, as if that might make it real.

"Is that…snarling?"

Her brow drew together, and she turned back to the train in horror. It wasn't just inhuman from agony. The screams were literally inhuman. Animals.


	5. At the Foot of This Hill

Elphaba took a step forward. As if she could do anything now. Avaric pulled her back from the edge of their overlook, and she knew by now her grip had to hurt. The Resistance must have had bad intelligence, or perhaps, like her, no one expected a shipment to mean Animal Prisoners of War.

The wreck of a door bulged and shuddered open with a metallic rasp. A Grizzly shouldered the door open and held it as the others wrenched their way free.

At least they were okay. She and Avaric could intercept them and help them find shelter.

A couple yards from the train, several of the Animals fell with a series of pops. She frowned. Had they hit something? Red bloomed on their backs, clear even from this distance.

Then a flash of metal drew her attention to the bluff on the opposite side. Gale Force? How had they known about the crash so quickly?

She had to stop them, warn the others on the train, but the engine burst out a flame that made it clear no one was still aboard. Alive anyway.

"Oz," Avaric breathed, his face a study in shock. She fought the urge to bury her face in his shoulder. "Come on." He tugged her away from the scene, but she yanked him back.

"Look," she hissed. "Someone's moving."

Buried under the others, a Fox shuffled to free itself. Still alive, though Oz knows how long.

"How do we get to it?" Avaric said. "I'd rather not get shot."

She let go of him to skid down the embankment into the bushes at the base. The light rattle of rocks let her know he followed, but her eyes stayed on the pitiful face of the Fox. She motioned for it to stop moving. It lay still, wide eyes begging for help.

"We've got to reach him."

Avaric eyed the Fox and the desperation in her face. "Alright, I'll circle back. See if the Gale Force has left. They obviously haven't seen him yet, or he'd be dead. Get him to stay still, and wait for my signal."

She nodded. A solid plan, for such improvisation.

"Fae, look at me." She did, reluctantly. "Do _not_ move without my signal."

She waved him off. "Right, I know."

"Fae…" he warned.

"Yes, yes. Go." Each breathe brought more desperation in the Fox's face, and she didn't know how long they had to reach it.

He muttered under his breath as he retreated, "Suicidal daredevil. And they blame testosterone…"

She edged toward the Fox, wondering how long it would take Avaric to climb up to the snipers. Five minutes? Ten? If they were gone. How long to subdue them?

The Fox's eyes pleaded with her. She fidgeted restlessly, trying to convey that the Fox should be still. It misunderstood, slinking an inch closer.

Damn it. She wanted to scream for it to stand still, but that would have drawn even more attention. The Fox had freed itself up to the waist, and she could see the sticky patches of blood on its fur. By injury or proximity, she wondered.

Perhaps it didn't have time to wait. Perhaps…what if it died in front of her, and she just stood there and watched?

She couldn't take it. She slipped forward to the edge of her cover. In a crouch, she ran another twenty paces. A shout came from the bluff, and a flash of metal.

She leapt toward some trees, and a series of bullets hit where she had been, dust spraying the air like confetti. From behind the trees, she saw the Fox laid still again. Hit? No, not as far as she was. Even a stray bullet wouldn't reach that far unless their aim was terrible.

She chanced another bolt, keeping the focus on her rather than the Fox. The patter of bullets hit faster and close now without the cover of surprise. She dove for cover after only a half dozen paces. She eyed the bluff. Nowhere left to hide, and still too far to run.

She'd have to create a diversion. She scanned the area. Nothing came to her. Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

The bush near the snipers rustled, shook. Avaric. There must have been a scuffle, and she heard more shouts. Then nothing.

Three flashes, steady.

Her signal. She raced the rest of the way to the massacre in the valley. The sight of so many bodies fought her focus, but she pressed it away. The Fox needed her now.

The sticky red fur on its stomach stained too darkly to be from the others. It tried to wriggle free when it saw it her, making the wound ooze darkly.

"Hold still. I'm not going to hurt you."

She knelt beside it, a palm to its shoulder to pin it further in place. The Fox bucked at her hand. "No," its voice weak.

She reached up to shuffle the bodies pinning the Fox, but it sensed her distraction, trying to break free again. "Damn it, do you have a death wish?"

"I might ask you the same."

She glanced back at Avaric, and boy, was he pissed. Eyes narrow and hot with anger glared at her from above his tight frown. She refused to shrink back. "He needed help."

"And you couldn't have just waited five Oz-forsaken minutes!" He stalked toward her with a limp, and she noticed then the unnatural tilt to his arm as it cradled his ribs. "You're lucky they didn't shoot you! Or me!"

"You can berate me later. Come on. I need an extra hand."

He balked at the dismissal, but a second look at the Fox had him holding it in place while she shifted off the other bodies. "Please don't kill me," it whimpered softly, and she frowned.

"We're helping you. Why would we kill you?"

"I'll cooperate this time. I swear."

"Calm down," Avaric cautioned as the Fox frantically fought to pull free. "She'll have you out in a second."

"You don't have to do this."

"We work for the Resistance," Elphaba showed him the miniscule tattoo on her inner wrist, easily dismissed by those who didn't know what to look for. "See?"

Wide-eyed, it balked against Avaric's hands. "Please, let me go. I'll do whatever you want. I can get your information again. Oz, I wasn't even supposed to be here. If Maximus hadn't been hauled back early…Please, I'll say anything you need me to."

"How about you shut up," she snapped, frustrated, and it paled.

Mouth clamped shut, it bobbed a nod, and she fought a growl of frustration.

"We're not going to hurt you."

Its eyes found her tattoo, and it slunk back. "I don't want to die," it whispered. Then it flinched, and pressed its lips tighter together.

"For Oz's sake, you can talk! She didn't mean it."

It looked suspicious. "I thought Animals should be seen, not heard."

"Aren't you listening?" she fought to keep her voice even. "We work _for_ the Resistance. We help the Animals."

"No one helps the Animals," the Fox retorted, eyes on its paws. "Not even us."

She flinched at the words. This had been their fault, after all. But Avaric's voice thrummed calmly, "Where did you come from? Do you know where you were held?"

Elphaba dropped to her knees as she finally freed it, trying to assess how bad its injuries were. "Anything you remember might help. A long drive? Any ohers there? Anything at all."

"The old factory base, again. I knew I screwed up, but as bad as Maxi? Surely not."

The stomach wound spread too large to lift it. The Fox hissed as she felt for the source of the bleeding.

"Who's Maximus?"

Avaric repeated the question, and the Fox blinked at him, its eyes glassy with pain. "He almost got away, too. Someone came for him. But they must have known. They brought him in."

She met Avaric's eyes over the Fox. Their asset?

"I guess it's a matter of time," it continued, its voice softer, weaker.

The body on top had a scarf, and she slipped it off and pressed it to the Fox's stomach. It yelped, but she pressed steadily.

"Until?"

"Until…we…lose. Ourselves or the war or the will to carry on." The Fox laid his head back, eyes closed, as she bandaged its stomach. She could only do so much. They needed a doctor. "You do…help?" It shook its head slowly. "Tell him, say… in Camidg. The next part is in…"

"Tell who?"

"Maxi." Its eyes were closed. "In Delaney by now."

"What's in Delaney?"

"Not what, who."

Avaric shot Elphaba a look, but she didn't respond. The blood had already seeped through her makeshift bandage. If they didn't get him fixed up soon…

"Who, then?"

"Of," a long pause, a deep swallow, "the…"

Elphaba shook her head. "No time. Let's go." They shifted the Fox on the makeshift pallet, but it was clear that would be pointless. The Fox laid still.

She tried to lift it still, pushing Avaric toward his end of the pallet. "Come on. Hurry."

"Fae…" Avaric's soft look glanced off her.

"Pick it up. We've got to go!"

"Fae, it's over. There's nothing you could have done."

She cursed and set him down. For Oz's sake, why could she never seem to… She pushed away the thought. No time for self-pity. "Alright then. Let's go."

Avaric reached out to her, but she skidded away.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

He followed her up the hill to the horses, leaving her to brood.

Some string of missions lately. Failure after failure, and the first success? A train full of Animals killed in some trap. Why? Were they sympathizers somehow? Faulty intel? Had the Gale Force found out and turned it against them?

Regardless, the Fox's face swam in her memory, taunting her.

Avaric took the lead as they rode to town. On the outskirts, he stopped at a faded blue motel, its walls pocked with patches. A place of blind eyes and deaf ears, where everyone held his own secret too tightly to seek out another's.

The sky had darkened, and not just with evening. She felt her time ticking away. Tucked against the wall, she eyed the narrow eaves and their slim protection. Come on; hurry up.

The first drops patted the pavement as he returned, a large brass key dangling from its chain. "Which?"

"Number 4. I could only get us one room, without registering."

"Fine." She scuttled toward the room, positioning Avaric between her and the light drips of rain. "You can send a message to Zephyr."

"Me?" His eyebrows rose, but she only snatched the key away. She shoved it in the lock and wrenched the door open. The room was fairly clean, if small and outdated. But most importantly, it was dry.

If Avaric noticed the cause of her apprehension, he kept it to himself. She told him how to contact Zephyr, and he set to work at once. Perhaps he thought it a sign of her trust. Which, she supposed, it was, no matter how she'd been cornered into it.

He returned, tiny rivulets of water dripping from his hair.

"I asked him to meet us here to debrief." Avaric flopped into the lone chair. "Let the rain be his problem."

She tossed him a towel.

"You alright?"

"Course. I'm not the one all wet."

He swallowed a smirk. "Oh?" The towel hid his face as he ruffled it over his hair. "Afraid it's a matter of time?"

"Nothing here to worry me about that."

His laugh burst free, soft and warm. "If you say so." He eyed the bed. "You bring pajamas, or are we sleeping au natural?"

"I'd imagine you'd get very cold, sleeping naked in the bath."

"The bath?"

"You think you're sharing my bed?"

"You mean, my bed. I believe I paid the bill." He angled closer, and she shrunk back from the water that clung to his neck and wrists. He froze, eyes studying her reaction. "But I can be a gentleman, despite what you might think."

He hadn't moved, and so neither did she. She steadied her breathing. "Shocking, but very good for your health." She kept the tone light, but he narrowed his eyes.

"Spit it out. What is it?"

Her lips pursed tight, but she belied her tension with a breezy, "What you mean?"

He reached out a hand, and she dodged it, her back thudding against the wall. "That. And you know it."

She crossed her arms. "If you think you're going to seduce me like all those other little bimbos…"

"Yes, yes, I'm a philandering idiot. What's really bothering you?"

She ignored his penetrating gaze by studying the ceiling with mock outrage. "Because I couldn't possibly just want you to back out of my personal space."

He leaned toward her, and with nowhere left to go, she considered sacrificing an arm to brush past him. "If you want to talk personal space, perhaps we should discuss that stunt with the oil."

Her eyes widened with betrayal. "Fine. Forget it. See if I try to make you feel better again."

A flicker of regret passed over his face, but he quickly hid it. He reached out an arm, and she snapped her hand away with a hiss.

"Don't touch me!"

He studied her posture, the way she cradled her arm. "You're hurt?"

"Not if you keep your hands to yourself. Then we'll _both_ survive without injury." Her eyes flashed at the threat, but despite his frown, he didn't back off.

"Why?" His eyes bored into her. "You have about five seconds to tell me what's going on before I find out for myself. So unless you want me to strip you down and play doctor, you'd better fess up."

The heat that rushed to her cheeks at that took her by surprise, but she could tell he was serious from the odd worry on his face. And though she could put up a hell of a fight, she wouldn't be able to physically stop him. Not if he intended to see it through.

He met her eyes, promising that he meant to do exactly that. "One…two…"

"It's the rain," she snapped back. "I have a skin condition."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"What, no dig? Here, let me. 'No kidding.' Or maybe, 'Is that why your skin is so hideous and green?' Or even, 'So that's the smell.'" She shoved away from him, hissing at the contact.

He didn't say anything, but his eyes trailed her as she retrieved her pack.

"Whatever. Just try not to shake water on everything like the big, dumb animal you are."

She stalked to the bath. New clothes and a fresh oil cleaning made her feel calmer, but she was still loath to face him. As it was, he was quickly stacking up all her vulnerabilities against her. She would have to kill him after this mission. Simple as that.

She squared her shoulders, determined not to let Avaric control her behavior. She would _not_ be afraid of anyone, least of all a spoiled little brat like him.

He had dry clothes on, his wet ones neatly folded by the door, along with the towel. He'd rubbed his hair dry, frizzy from his efforts, and he fought to tame it now with a narrow-toothed comb.

She stalked over to the bed and retrieved the burn ointment for her arm. It was slight, but she knew it would sting at her all night if she didn't shut it up now. He watched her quietly.

"Stop looking at me," she snapped, and a slow smile crept over his face.

He edged toward her, that stupid smirk on his face still. "All dry now."

She lifted her eyebrow and gave a sarcastic nod. She turned away.

"So you'll need a new excuse for running away from me," he spoke softly, sitting behind her.

"Oh, Avaric." She tossed him a smile over her shoulder. "I don't need an excuse to want you as far from me as possible."

His laugh was soft, but he didn't bother arguing. She decided he had the right idea by holding his tongue. She would just ignore him. She shook out her hair and set to remaking her braid for bed.

The rain had thickened outside, a heavy patter sounding on the thin motel roof. It was oddly lulling. She let her eyes close, exhaustion from the day creeping through her. Her braid could wait. She'd deal with the tangles in the morning. That drew a wince. Whatever. Tomorrow's problem.

She startled when a comb scraped through her hair from behind. She spun to face Avaric, but he set a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Can we skip your grousing and just let me do this?"

"No." Her spine was stiff, but she didn't pull away. He chuckled softly, the comb drifting lightly through a new section.

"So you have to do this every night? Seems kind of a pain for a revolutionary." His fingers dug through a particularly difficult knot. "Ever think of cutting it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She drew in a deep breath as the comb ran through the hair over her bare arms. She tipped her head back before she caught herself. His other hand came up to stroke his fingernails lightly over her scalp. Long, gentle strokes that lulled her resistance.

"Not that I'm complaining, of course." He twisted a lock around his fingers. The hair spun out, and he tugged it taut. "So soft," he whispered, a breathy laugh fluttering the hair by her ear. "Only soft thing about you."

She felt a flicker of annoyance, but she was too tired to argue. As it was, the rain and comb combined to make sleep press tight to the front of her eyelids.

"I can see why you hide it away," the words shimmered in the air between them, and she wondered if he'd even meant her to hear. The cape of hair fell smoothly over her back now, and she lifted her arms to braid it. He caught her hands. "Always hiding. And fighting." How could it be both?

"It'll tangle," she sighed, wanting to sleep and forget this miserable day happened, if only for a few hours. Maybe he was right. She certainly felt like hiding.

He let the comb trail over the skin of her neck, shoulder. "If only something could help with that."

"It's annoying. Gets everywhere."

He hummed a response too close to her neck, and she shifted away. Her fingers firmly divided and braided the hair, immune to his sigh. With the plait off her neck, she felt more like herself. The odd calm traded for control.

"Thanks."

He quirked a smile. "Don't mention it."

"Still not sharing the bed."

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Why not? Afraid of something?"

She ignored the warmth of him at her back. "I wouldn't put you past assaulting me the second I fall asleep."

"If I were going to assault you, what's stopping me now?" He let his nose trace the corner of her jaw, and she jerked away. "I think you're afraid of _you_ assaulting _me_."

She barked a laugh. "Not for all the mud in Quadling County."

He stood. "Fair enough."

Her conscience prickled, and she adopted a sincere tone. "Look, Avaric, you're not…despicable, after all." He answered her with dry thanks. "But I'm not some trophy bimbo that's going to fall for your charms. I'm sure you have plenty of other options. Do me a favor, and stop trying."

He crossed his arms. "Sure, when you're willing to admit that you actually have a heart underneath that cold witch persona."

"I never said-"

"For more than the Resistance. You want everyone to think you're so cold." He cupped her cheek, and she pulled away. "Warm enough to me."

She flashed a tight smile. "Glad to see you have some standards at least. I'd hate to have a necrophiliac for a partner." At his smirk, she realized her mistake, but she wouldn't take the word back for fear of looking even more ridiculous.

Avaric clicked off the lights, and she burrowed her way under the thin blankets. She tossed him a pillow, and he settled down on the floor beside her.

The weariness of the day notwithstanding, she couldn't find the sleep that so recently had threatened to drag her down, ready or not. She turned to the other side, and back. But all she saw when she closed her eyes was that train afire and the stack of bodies covering the Fox, who'd literally died in her arms. She flipped back to face the window. Rain tracks traced rivers down the glass, but her mind refused to be appeased.

"It wasn't your fault."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Sh! Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Us? Got another girl up there?"

"You wish."

"I do," he confirmed with a chuckle. "Might have a chance with her."

"You think if I had a girl in bed with me, she'd want to sleep with you?"

Avaric's throaty laugh brought a smile to her face that was gratefully hidden by the dark. "Now that's an image. Mm, either way."

They fell back into silence, and she squeezed her eyes shut, frustrated at the sleep dangled so tantalizingly close and yet just beyond her fingertips.

The rain slowed. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She twisted to face window, ceiling and wall without result.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not if you keep bothering me," she hissed back.

"Fae, come on. Stop beating yourself up about this."

She started to argue, but he cut her off. "If it's your fault, then it's mine, too. And honestly, I can't take more guilt at the moment." The image of him, head low and spattered with blood sprang to mind.

"How's your leg?"

"Fine. Better than my ribs." Right, she'd meant to check that, but between the rain and his stupid smirk, she'd forgotten.

She shifted to the edge of the bed to squint at him in the inky shadows. "Wrap it already?"

"Now you care?" She glared, though he probably couldn't see. "Sure. Probably just bruised, but you can give it a go."

She slid out of bed and relit the lights. Avaric huffed a complaint as they both shielded their eyes. "Up."

He complied, sitting on the edge of her bed. He slipped off his shirt, his bare chest far too familiar a sight. She studied the bruises, testing the bones. Avaric hissed as she pressed one spot a bit harder than intended, and she pulled back.

"How many were there?"

"How many gets me in that bed instead of the floor?"

She handed him his shirt back, convinced that nothing had been broken. He shrugged it on, and now that she'd noticed it, his movements seemed to scream with awkward angles. "Get in the bed."

"Seriously?"

"Before I change my mind."

He tumbled into the bed as she sent them back into darkness. She felt her way to the pillow and stretched out on the floor. "What're you doing?"

"Letting you have the bed. Now shut up and sleep, or I'm taking it back."

"Take it back. You're not sleeping on the floor." He sat up, but she sighed.

"So what? You'll sleep on the floor, too? Or are you planning on forcing me to sleep on the bed?"

"Why, Fae, trying to tempt me into tying you to the bed? You only have to ask."

"Idiot." His fingers reached out and tugged on the fabric he found. "Fine," she sighed, "scoot over. But you'd better keep your hands to yourself."

His extra warmth made the thin blanket a little more effective, and she focused on the practicality of it. He misunderstood her tension and whispered, "Each day a new step, Thropp."

"Yeah, a step too slow and more than a step behind." She faced away from him. "And that was before we started working against ourselves."

His hand found hers and gave a soft squeeze. "We'll work it out."

She huffed. "No good deed, huh."

"I hope not. I'd hate to think all this was for nothing."

Morose, she wanted to disagree, but she settled for a vague grunt. His presence, oddly soothing, took her out of her thoughts enough for sleep to claim her.


	6. I Know What I've Seen

The chill in the air chased Elphaba unwillingly from sleep. Avaric's warmth on the far side of the small mattress lured her like a Siren song. Eyes closed, she considered burying her face in that warmth and feigning sleep, but in the end, she couldn't do it.

She stretched, muscles stiff. The angry scrapes on her elbows had faded, and the light burns all but disappeared. Still, she felt decidedly worse for wear.

The sun hadn't risen yet, but it would. Zephyr would bring a new mission, no doubt. What must they do now? Scale Kumbricia's pass with only a shoehorn?

Her braid coiled thick and long under her collar as she redressed. She itched for a knife to slice the damn thing off. Avaric was right. It wasn't practical. But neither was short hair in her eyes. She sighed. Sometimes she envied his gender. But then, she couldn't imagine being so ruled by a single body part.

The rain had fled in the night, but the remains still pooled and puddled on the ground. She checked the soles and laces on her boots. Better safe than sorry.

She sought out breakfast, and Avaric woke at her return, no doubt from the wafting smell of coffee. He rubbed a weary hand over his stubbly chin, eyelids at half-mast. "Morning?"

"Close enough."

He groaned, and forced himself out of bed. He hadn't buttoned his shirt, and the bruises stood out clearly. They'd darkened overnight.

Maybe she should've listened to him and waited.

They ate and dressed in tired silence before Zephyr's knock. Avaric let him in as Elphaba smoothed the comforter in place. Better not to invite questions. Her mask felt odd on her face after so much time without it.

"Yes?"

Avaric's eyes were unreadable. "A success."

She refused to let it lie. "If that's what you call it. There were Animals on that train." For once, Zephyr's cold stare did nothing to quench her fire. She snapped her arms in front. "And I won't be put off this time by some 'do and die' line."

Avaric tensed beside her. She could tell he wanted to chastise her, but wouldn't for solidarity's sake. An odd thrum of appreciation drove through her.

But she might as well asked to be queen of the Vinkus for all Zephyr acknowledged her.

"You have information?" He leaned back against the closed door as he listened to their update, a hand to his chin. "I see." Another lengthy pause, and he pushed off to stand tall. "I will join you this time."

Her glare faltered at this surprise. She'd been with this command for over a year, and Zephyr had never before joined a mission. "What's so special about this time?"

Avaric asked another question at the same time, and their leader looked none too amused at having to explain himself. "We will intercept this Maximus. I believe him to be the diverted shipment lost on your previous mission. Gather your belongings. We need to reach the station before their connection."

She frowned. "So you knew about this?"

"Only of a train headed toward Delaney. It's too coincidental not to be."

"But that was yesterday. You think they haven't left yet?"

"Must you ask every thought that enters your mind, like a little babe just learning to speak?" Zephyr reached to pinch the bridge of his nose, but was prevented by the mask. He settled for rubbing his temple. "Hurry, Rho, we must buy this one a lolly on the way."

Her face seized in a snarl, but she held her tongue. She hefted her bag, and waited in stony silence as Avaric finished his. At the door, Zephyr paused.

"I doubt we'll find much in the way of cover, and I believe our masks will draw more attention than we'd wish." He touched his mask idly. "It breaks protocol, I know, but would you consent to dropping the masks?"

Elphaba relaxed, her mask stowed quickly in her pack. She'd already grown tired of the damn thing. Was this why so many agents worked alone? She understood the need for secrecy, but she needed fresh air more.

Avaric lowered his as well, though with more reluctance than she expected. _He _at least had no glaringly memorable physical features.

Zephyr dropped his then, though he pulled the brim of his hat low on his face. "Very well." His thin, sharp nose and round chin made for an interesting profile, and she didn't envy the effort it must've taken to find a fitting mask.

If he found her green skin or Avaric's generic good looks surprising, Zephyr didn't say, and they fell into an awkward silence on the way to the station that had her reminiscing fondly for the days when she had only one partner.

Avaric carefully avoided her, afraid their commander would pick up on their history. She, for her part, had to swallow a hundred questions that spun into her mind about the past few days and this newest round of secrets.

The train stop bustled with activity. People waited for tickets, waited for trains, or waited for luggage, all while chatting, rushing and bandying about. Zephyr shifted into a niche near the door. "Wait for me by platform…17. I'll purchase our tickets."

They headed left, away from the ticket booth. Once out of sight, Avaric's shoulders sagged. "Why do you think he's here?"

"So I ask, and I deserve a lolly. But you ask-"

"You asked him!"

"Well, he knows more than I would," she tossed back with a hand on her hip. "Honestly, why are you so scared of him?"

"Have you never seen the Resistance deal with their own?"

"Your life is in danger on the missions. Why's this different?"

He caught her arm. "I think he knows about us."

"Calm down. He doesn't know anything." She dug a hand through her bag for her book. "There's nothing to know, really."

"Nothing to know?" He arched an eyebrow. "Oh, right. Because if we clap very hard, fairies _do_ exist. Come on, be serious."

He tugged on her elbow, and she set the book back in her pack with a sigh. "Well, it's a big job. Maybe he thinks we'll need him. Or that we screw up all the time."

Avaric's expression melted. "Not true. You've got to stop blaming yourself for that, Fae."

"Elphaba?"

She froze. No. It couldn't be. But his wide eyes ruled out hallucination.

"And…Avaric?"

They spun to face the voice behind them. No point hiding. She couldn't exactly pretend a mistaken identity. Ugh. After so long, why wouldn't her past leave her alone?

"Oh my Oz!" Glinda bounced into a hug, squeezing her old roommate tightly. "What are you doing here?"

She lifted an eyebrow. "Waiting for a train."

The bubbly blonde giggled. "Same old Elphie." She glanced at Avaric and sobered. "Although, I guess not. How are you, Av?"

"I've been well. And you?"

"Good. Great. Chuffrey's hit a bonus in the bonds business or something, and we're off to festivate." She waved a dismissive hand. "So you two are…you know?"

He shifted closer with a conspiratorial smile. "Why? Are we that obvious?"

"Only a little," she confided with a grin. "Fae's an unusualish pet name, but I suppose every couple's different. I can't imagine Elphie would be thrillified if you called her Sweetie Pie."

"And who would call someone a name they hate?"

Avaric barked a laugh, and he slung an arm around Elphaba's waist to palm her hip. She fought to keep her face even, particularly when her old friend said, "No offense, but I can't believe you two, of all people, would be..."

"In love?" He shot her an adoring look that drew her sneer out of reflex. He bent down to give her a slow, soft kiss. "It was a surprise to us as well."

"Aw," Glinda cooed. "I guess opposites attract, right?"

Elphaba's tight smile promised him problems later. "Yeah. And he's definitely my opposite."

"So, a good-natured conversationalist," he teased back, with a quick kiss to her hairline.

She settled into his side in what she hoped was a convincing manner. "Your version of conversation and mine is different. I prefer words."

He chuckled, and his hands slid lower on her hip. "While I prefer…"

She slapped his chest as hard as could be played off as playful, and he pulled back. They needed to wrap this up. Zephyr could be back any moment, and he couldn't see Glinda. For her sake and theirs.

The blonde giggled at whatever Avaric had said. "So how did you two get together? I love a good love story. And you're so…discernifying. I can't imagine you giving anyone the time of day."

Elphaba shrugged. "He's persuasive."

He flinched at her wording, and she sent him an apologetic look. He hid his insult in wrapping her back in his arms, less gentlemanly than before. "Plus, I'm excellent in bed."

She shoved at him as Glinda turned as pink as the dresses she used to wear.

"I meant before that. I'm assuming you at least…courted…first."

He leaned his head on hers. "Hard to court someone you've known ages."

Elphaba's agreement chimed in too late to really sell it as she scanned for Zephyr. How to get away?

Apparently Avaric had a similar idea, and his solution was to make the blonde uncomfortable with public affection. It wasn't likely to work. Nor did it help her think of alternatives. Much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, part of her wanted the charade to continue so his palm would keep searing into her hipbone.

He nuzzled her ear, and she hoped a smile would be an appropriate answer to whatever Glinda asked. Where to go? What excuse?

"What else have you two been up to? Fulfilling your lifelong ambition to save the world's Animals?"

She tipped her face into Avaric's jaw to hide her surprise. "Sure. And you? Fulfilling your ambition to save the world's dresses?"

He tilted his face toward her, too close for comfort. "Why don't I get an ambition?"

Elphaba quirked a taunting eyebrow, while Glinda offered a smart, "I'm not sure the world needs more of your kind of ambition."

Zephyr turned the corner at the far end of the platform, and Elphaba elbowed Avaric lightly. He caught her gaze, and dropped his arms. "Well, it's been great catching up. We'd better go."

"Oh, so soon? We'll have to meet up later. Chuffrey will be-"

Elphaba dragged Avaric past her. "Yes, certainly. Sorry, we've got to go, or-"

"We'll be late. Lovely seeing you," he offered, and she chimed in half-heartedly. A bewildered Glinda returned the sentiment with suspicion in her gaze.

Zephyr spotted them, and eyed their joined hands. Elphaba snapped hers away, but his glare didn't lighten. "Who were you talking to?"

The blood drained from her face, but mercifully her voice remained calm. "No idea. Asked the time, and wouldn't shut up."

Avaric grinned beside her. "I think she found Fae fascinating."

Zephyr studied her for a moment. "Yes, I could see why you might draw attention. Do you know how to produce a glamour?"

"I meant her conversation." His grin faltered, and her partner took an unconscious step toward her. "Wouldn't a glamour be worse than a mask? It's far too crowded."

Before she could answer, Glinda caught sight of them. The blonde took a hesitant step, and Elphaba snatched his hand. "Come on, she's coming back for round two."

She stalked toward the corner, praying her grip on Avaric looked convincing to one and innocent to another. Once out of sight, she tilted her head back. "How are we supposed to intercept anything if she won't leave us alone?"

Zephyr frowned. "Do you think she's counterintelligence?"

She couldn't help the snort. Glinda a spy? Avaric chuckled. "Unlikely. She didn't really seem to be _any_ intelligence."

Elphaba bristled at that. The blonde might be bubbly, airheaded even at times, but she wasn't stupid. He sent her a look, and she tried to relax. He probably didn't mean it. Oz, this mission was exhausting already, and they'd yet to do anything.

She peeked around the corner to see the blonde only a few paces away. Wide eyed, she jerked back, scanning for a plausible escape. If Glinda said anything to Zephyr…

"What are you doing?"

She spun back to face their leader. "Oh. Nothing. Why, what?"

Avaric tried to telepathically send her a message from behind Zephyr, but she could only shrug.

"Is she always like this?"

"Not at all. She must be distracted by that woman still," he ground out the words. The one who might pop around the corner at any moment? As a matter of fact…

"As I said, Avaric will take the guards, I the prisoner and you the parts."

She frowned. "Alright, but I'm not exactly known for my upper body strength."

"You are, however, known for botching this assignment once already, so you'll excuse me if I don't trust the prisoner to you."

Her jaw dropped in outrage, but then Glinda finally turned the corner, arm in arm with a fluttery-eyed redhead. She ducked behind Zephyr, leaving Avaric to find his own cover. It was Elphaba that the girl would approach, anyway.

Zephyr frowned at her, and she fought not to look sheepish.

"Fair enough. Shall we go get that train?"

"Ours is the one after next. Luckily, we were early, which should give you time to stop acting like a fool."

"Yes, sir." She sobered, cheeks red.

Back at the platform, they split up to blend in. She propped against a column with her book while Zephyr gazed between his watch and the tracks like clockwork. Avaric chatted with those nearby, the picture of ease. A pair of girls tittered at something he'd said, and she rolled her eyes. At least he hadn't kissed anyone yet.

The train rumbled in, and they boarded from their various positions. She walked through several cars before meeting them at the rear of the passenger section. Avaric tried the door to the cargo hold – locked.

"Should we search forward first," she whispered, "or we know it's in the back?"

Zephyr nodded toward the door.

She slipped out a pin while the men blocked her from view and discussed the weather. The lock gave way easily, and the commander sent her a surprised look of approval. Despite herself, she had missed that – ever the bright and eager pupil, if too irreverent for her own good.

She eased through the door, and the others followed. This compartment held nothing of interest, but she could see movement in the next car. Had they been spotted as well?

Zephyr and Elphaba took posts on either side of the door, and Avaric rolled his shoulders. She didn't envy him. No idea how many guards, or weaponry, and with no escape should it prove too many.

Zephyr set a hand on the latch. Avaric gave a sharp nod. The door swung open, and he launched himself through. They dove in after, propelling themselves through the mess of people.

She scanned. A beefy-armed swing glanced off her shoulder, and she dodged a second. There. In the back. She wished she'd smuggled on a dolly. No way could she get that monster through this.

She ducked another heavy fist. Her attacker growled, and she flung herself at him, knocking him down. He grasped her wrist to pull her after him, and she yelped. The same damn wrist. Why always the same wrist?

"Fae!"

Avaric sent a roundhouse to a guard's stomach and, without pause, drove a foot into her captor's ribs. The cretin let her go with a grunt. She scuttled away, and hurled a nearby case at the prone guard.

"The box," Zephyr hissed at her, as if she'd been purposefully taking her time.

He already had the prisoner half un-tied. She hauled up the box with a grunt. It fell against her stomach. "Oomph. This…was a bad…idea," she sputtered, trying to wrangle the box in position. She swallowed hard and staggered forward, the heavy weight teetering. Her arms strained not to drop it.

How had no one hit her? She made an easy target, struggling with both arms full.

Then she saw Avaric pinned while a couple guards pummeled him. She and Zephyr escaped noticed in the bloodlust, and their commander used that to get the prisoner out. She should do the same, but she couldn't leave him to be beaten half to death.

With all her might, she heaved the heavy box at them. It crashed the closest pair of guards to the ground. Zephyr swung back, furious, but she had no time to consider him. The one on Avaric's left released him in favor of her.

She drove her elbow in his stomach. He folded over, and she rebounded with a punch to the nose. A knee to the groin finished him off, and he slumped down in misery.

One that she'd toppled had recovered, and he came at her. She didn't have enough leverage at this angle to do anything, and he dodged her blow. His shove sent her stumbling over bodies and wreckage.

Her back slammed into the wall. He punched, and she dodged, again. But the third landed, sending her head into the wall with a dull thud.

"Taste of your own," the man growled.

He reared back for another punch, but Avaric crashed into his back. The man crumpled with a shout, only for another to pop up behind. She yanked Avaric out of the way, and the guard's fist crunched into the wall. He grunted in pain, and she kicked out, knocking him off his feet.

"Get the box."

Avaric bent to haul up the heavy thing. She sent another elbow toward the man behind him, and they took the small opening to propel themselves through the door. Zephyr waited, a hard look on his face, but as they made it through, he shoved the door shut and blocked it with some kind of barricade.

A man pounded on the door, but it didn't move. "Come on."

She ran a hand over herself automatically, straightening her blouse. No need to draw extra attention to them.

"Need help with the box?" Avaric shook his head, and she winced at his face. One eye was already swelling, and if nothing else, he would be covered in bruises.

The station loomed ahead, and she hoped Zephyr had a plan to get them away before those men behind them. She and Avaric didn't need a repeat of that beating.

As soon as the doors opened, the four rushed out and across the platform. Zephyr directed them to a public washroom, the men's, but she didn't fuss. Out of sight, she relaxed against the wall for a moment. Zephyr handed her their rescued prisoner. "Don't let him go. We need to debrief him."

Avaric looked up at that, but she took the Goat's arm. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of here."

Zephyr slipped out in the hallway, and she let out a puff of relief for the temporary rest. Avaric set down the box. "Thanks."

She wrinkled her forehead.

"For not leaving me to get pummeled."

She couldn't help the smile. "It was tempting, but I doubt I'd like that face better with a broken nose."

He swallowed a laugh.

"Thanks for having my back, too."

"Definitely wouldn't like your face better," he returned, and she gave him a playful punch to his arm. Despite its lack of energy, he swallowed a grimace.

"Awfully nice of Zephyr to jump in there."

Avaric shrugged. "Guess that's why he's the commander. No fighting."

"Or because it was idiotic of you two to put the mission in jeopardy to spare the other some bruises," Zephyr threw from the doorway, and both of them jumped. From his face, he had definitely overheard. "This is exactly what I was worried about with the two of you together. No wonder I had to come along for you to be successful."

The Goat shuffled a step away from him.

Elphaba started to argue, but Avaric jumped in first. "Do you have a way out of here for us, or are you just going to berate us while we cower in the bathroom?"

Zephyr held the door. "Come along, children. Our ride is waiting."


End file.
